


Backflips Aren't Mandatory

by mildlyproductivetrashbag



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening, Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken | Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Betrayal, Character Death, Everyone Has Issues, Everything is Beautiful, F/M, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Relationships are Mixed Up, relationships will be updated as the fic goes on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-04-07 23:32:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14092125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mildlyproductivetrashbag/pseuds/mildlyproductivetrashbag
Summary: Round up a couple of FE characters and throw them into the modern age. Add a few secret agent organizations, a couple of government conspiracies, betrayal, and a healthy helping of romance, shenanigans, and unlikely friendships. Mix them all together, and somehow, you get this mess as the end result.





	1. Chapter 1

The sun glared down the city of Ylisse. Combined with the heat from midday traffic, and the irritatingly large amount of skyscrapers built too closely together, the heat had slowly risen from tolerable to sweltering. Most people found refuge in either their homes or air-conditioned establishments. The unfortunate few who were outside and had to endure the heat, were walking as fast as their legs could carry them. One man in particular was in quite the hurry.

His shoes clicked on the pavement as he continued on his swift pace. Unlike most other people he passed, he was not dressed appropriately for the summer heat. He wore a dark gray suit partnered with a red tie, its fabric heavy and itchy against his skin. His hair stuck out in all directions, and he didn’t seem inclined to do anything to fix that situation. Beads of sweat slid down his forehead and he made a half-hearted attempt to wipe them away with his handkerchief.

Eventually, the haggard looking man stopped in front of a building. A sign with the words 'Women's Gymnastics Training Center', was hanging above the entrance. He opened the door, his hands slick with sweat, and turned the knob. The welcoming blast of cold air from the nearby air con unit felt heavenly, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He made a beeline for the nearest bench. Exhausted, he sat down and leant back against the cool cement wall. He allowed the heavy briefcase to slip out of his hands and fall to the ground with a loud thud.

It was a relief to finally be free of the heat, even if it was only temporary. The clock on the far wall indicated that it was 4:47, which meant there were only thirteen minutes left until Morgan, finished with her gymnastic training. It also meant that he had 13 minutes until he had to brave the heat once more. Deciding to make the most of the cool air, he shrugged out of his coat and placed it beside him. Robin felt infinitely better once the heavy fabric was removed.

On the other hand however, he felt quite odd not having the familiar piece of clothing around his shoulders. As if that wasn't bad enough, he soon realized how out of place he must have looked. A slim, disheveled man who looked like he hadn’t seen a single weight in his life, sitting in the corner of a gym. Looking around, he realized some of the patrons were casting curious glances towards him every now and then. He fidgeted, uncomfortable under their gaze. The thought of spending more time here suddenly didn’t sound as appealing as it did before. Really, why did he ever agree to pick up Henry's kid?

Oh right. Henry had a tendency to forget about everything else when he got engrossed into a new project. He didn't do it intentionally of course, but sometimes his brother forgot to pick up Morgan, and he had to go in his place. It wasn't as if he could just ditch Morgan here. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but the circumstances of his and Henry's job meant they had to be more careful than the average person. After multiple incidents of Robin being forced to pick Morgan up from the gym, Henry got the idea to just push all the 'pick-up' services to him. Great. And so here he was.

He glanced back up at the clock. Only a minute had passed. With a sigh, he leant back against the wall and closed his eyes. Nothing could be done about it. The bustle of the gym soon faded into background noise and he found himself slowly nodding off.

It had been a busy morning. He hadn’t gotten much sleep yesterday either, and it was beginning to show. Working at FEA was really going to cut his life expectancy in half, if he kept on at this rate. A short nap wouldn’t hurt, he reasoned.

“Oi! Wake up, damn punk!” a loud, feminine voice startled him out of his slumber. Robin’s eyes jerked open, and he yelped in surprise. An intimidating looking redhead was towering over him. Her eyebrows formed a tight V as she glared. If looks could kill...

“W-what?” he responded blearily. His first move was to grab the knife concealed in his coat. Before his mind could catch up with his body, his hand was already halfway to his weapon. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins, and he had to make a conscious effort to calm down. He forced a confused expression, to disguise his instinctual response.Oblivious to how close she had been to being attacked, the woman leaned closer and began to yell in his face. “What are you doing here, huh? This place is for gymnasts, not a motel for weirdos like you to sleep in!” she punctuated every sentence by jabbing her finger in his chest.

Robin scrambled to pull himself together, silently tamping down the pounding in his heart, and attempted to defend himself. “I- I’m not some weirdo-!” he spluttered. The complete absurdity of the situation did wonders for his nerves, and he slowly calmed down. At this point, he was just confused about this woman appearing out of nowhere to scream at him. What was her deal?

She merely scoffed at his response and raised her eyebrows at him. “Oh yeah? Why are you sleeping on the waiting bench then? I bet you’re just here to-“

"That is enough, Sully,” a new voice said, “I think you’ve harassed this poor man enough," a woman with kind eyes peered over the redhead’s shoulder and firmly pulled her back.

“Lucina? But he’s-” she tried to say, but the other woman was having none of it. “Sully. I understand your concern, but please do try and refrain from verbally-harassing every non-member that comes through the doors." Sully looked ashamed at that and stepped away from Robin. She shot him an apologetic glance, then walked back inside, further into the center.

Lucina sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry about that. She means well, but she can be a bit overbearing at times.” He stared at her blankly. “A bit?” he asks incredulously.

She snorted, “I suppose that is an understatement.” she crossed her arms, but kept her stance relaxed, “She's very protective of the girls around here, but she's also new, so it makes sense she wouldn’t recognize you yet,” she wiped the sweat from her brow and glanced at him curiously, “Uh, not to be weird or anything, but are you Robin? Morgan’s uncle?” He was startled by the sudden mention of his name. Robin tensed. “You know me?” he asked. She nodded. “But how? I’ve never even seen you before.”

“Morgan mentions you from time to time," she said with a smile, and he relaxed minutely. "She tells us stories about your work for the government, she chuckled, pushing the hair away from her face and taking a seat beside him, “It’s really cute. Although,” she shook her head and smirked. “From the way she spoke about you, I was expecting someone a little more..." Lucina vaguely gestured in his direction, " _intimidating_.”

He huffed. “Sorry to disappoint.” 

“I was just teasing. She’s very proud of you, you know,” she said, leaning back against the wall.

“Ah. I see,” he suppressed a smile. “What else has she told you?”

Lucina shrugged. “Nothing specific, if that’s what you’re worried about. Anyway,” she stood up and turned to face him, I’ve kept you here for long enough. I’ll call for Morgan to come down so you can go.” she began to walk away. When she came to the doors leading into the center, she stopped and stopped and called over her shoulder, “It was nice talking to you.” He watched her leave, then pulled a book out of his briefcase and resigned himself for another long wait.

In one of the many changing rooms to be found in the center, Morgan finished changing into her casual clothing and stuffed a sweaty leotard into her duffel bag. She gave a whoop of victory as she closed her locker doors. Training was over for the day. She could finally go home and sink into her bed. Her body ached and complained from the intense workout she put it through. She shouldered the duffel bag and left the changing room. Lucina was waiting for her on the other side. “Oh, you’re already leaving? I was just about to call you out,” the blue haired woman said, “Your uncle’s here early,” she smirked, “I had to chase Sully off of him.” Morgan groaned, “What did she do to him? Is he still in one piece?”

Lucina laughed, “Don’t worry, he’s fine. Though I’d say his ears might still be ringing from the all the yelling he received.” She extended her hand and offered to carry Morgan's bag for her, but she was refused.

“Thanks for keeping an eye out for him. I’ll go now, just in case someone else decides to harass him.” With that she ran off, yelling a quick “Good bye Luci!”, as she went. Her wet hair stuck uncomfortably to her neck as she ran. Glad for the cool breeze that brushed by she ran, she picked up the pace. Several patrons of the training center raised their hands and yelled a quick greeting as she ran past. None of them stared. They were used to this sort of thing.

Eventually, she arrived at the lobby, where her uncle was waiting. Or more accurately, sleeping. It seemed as if he had already dozed off, his book placed precariously placed atop his face, and his arms laying haphazardly over his sides. Morgan grinned mischievously. Here was a rare opportunity to play a prank on her uncle. She slowly crept up to him, taking the utmost care to suppress her giggles. She leaned over him and took a deep breath. “Wakey-wakey!” She yelled.

He started violently, arms flailing, lashing out at the nearest object. His briefcase was kicked aside, and he nearly fell off of the bench. Fortunately for him, Morgan had excellent reflexes, and was able to catch him without any difficulty. From an outsider's perspective, they would see nothing more than a clumsy guy who nearly just face planted onto the floor. To her sharp eyes however, she saw his right hand splayed out, ready to absorb the impact of his fall several seconds before he'd even looked down. She rolled her eyes. It was no fun scaring someone who was prepared for everything. Still, it was nice for the few seconds it lasted, and she sure as hell was going to savor it. 

As soon as he righted himself, she began to laugh delightedly. "Ha! You- should have- seen- your face!" she managed to get out in between breaths. She rarely ever caught her uncle off guard like this. To his credit, Robin merely shook his head in bemusement, even though his heart was pounding a mile a minute. He wasn't upset, just like Morgan expected. By the time his heartbeat finally slowed down, Morgan had also stopped laughing. She was still grinning though. "Alright, alright," he said, and ran a hand through his hair, "I admit, that was  _mildly_ amusing. But," he said firmly, and Morgan immediately began to pout. "we should go. I don't want to get caught up in the rush hour traffic- I'm tired enough as it is."

"Okay uncle," she said, her smile softening. Morgan picked up the suitcase he had kicked aside and offered her hand. "Come on. Can't have an old man passing out on me," she teased. Together, they exited the building and braved the sweltering heat. Robin slung his coat over his shoulder as they walked down the street to the nearby bus stop. Thankfully, they arrived right at the nick of time. The bus was just about to drive away when they came running.

"Hey!" Robin yelled, raising his hand to try and hail down the bus. "We're going to get on!" He tugged Morgan's hand and ran faster. Right before the doors closed, they managed to slip through and get on the bus. "Whew," Morgan said, and wiped the sweat from her brow. "That was stressful."

"Come on, let's find a seat." He began moving down the aisle. There were two empty seats at the back of the bus, and he practically melted onto the vinyl. Morgan giggled at the sight. "You seem extra tired today, what's the occasion?"

"It's the heat," he said, and motioned towards the window, "and the fact that the AC units in our building broke down. Combine that with my everyday workload, and you get a very exhausted uncle."

"Aww, now that makes me feel bad." Morgan frowned, but then quickly brightened when a thought quickly occurred to her. "Oh, but at least there's one silver lining in your day."

"Hm? What do you mean?" he asked, and turned towards her. She grinned mischievously, "You met a cute gal!" His eyes widened, and his cheeks flushed red, "W-what? What does that even- I didn't- No!" he spluttered finally.

"You don't think Ms. Lucina is pretty?" she asks, her grin only growing wider.

"No! I meant- Of cour- I meant- Argh! Stop teasing me Morgan!" he crossed his arms and glared. She just laughed at him. He turned to face the window and proceeded to ignore her for the rest of the trip.

The following week, Robin found himself inside the gym again. He was sitting on the same bench, and was being approached by the same redheaded woman who screamed at him the last time he was here. Thankfully, she didn't seem to be angry. In fact, she had a rather neutral expression on her face.  From the way her hands fidgeted however, he assumed that she wasn't here to pick a fight or get into another argument.

"Hi." she said, and smiled sheepishly. "I'm, uh, sorry about last time." she rubbed the back of her neck, "I shouldn't have gone off on you like that," by the time she finished her sentence, her voice had already become a soft murmur. He had to strain to hear the last of her words, but he got the message nonetheless.

"It's okay," he reassured her. "I understand, you don't need to apologize," when she started to contradict him, he held his hand out and said gently, "Really, it's okay." Glancing at him uncertainly, she nodded and walked back into the center. Along the way, she bumped into Lucina, who raised an eyebrow at her red cheeks. "Sully? What's with the..." she motioned towards the woman's cheeks. The other woman ignored her and broke into a full sprint, running away from her, leaving Lucina confused. She shook her head and walked into the reception area to see what had Sully so embarassed. She had to suppress a giggle when she realized that it was only Robin.

"Hello!" she said, immediately catching Robin's attention. She greeted him with a smile, and he gave her one in return. "Hello," He scooted over to the left to make room for her on the bench. "I trust Sully wasn't harassing you again?" She took a seat beside him, and looked at him earnestlyl. "Not at all. She actually, uh," he looked kind of embarrassed, she noted, "she actually apologized, so there's that."

"That's good. See, I told you she was a good person. You just have to get past," she waved her hands vaguely, "everything, first." He laughed. Lucina continued, "It's good to see you again. I had fun talking to you last time." She smiled. "Me too," he replied, and shifted slightly. He messed with the hem of his shirt absentmindedly, "It's kind of funny really, I get to speak to you again because of Sully."

"What a coincidence, hm?" she said, and nudged his shoulder playfully, "But I'm certainly not complaining. I could certainly get used to seeing you on a regular basis.."

He blushed, but recovered quickly. "It's a shame I'm only here on weekends, then huh?"

"It is," she agreed, and he blinked, not anticipating that response "I wouldn't mind seeing a face like yours everyday," he blushed and turned away to regain his composure. "I'm sorry I can't help you with that then,"

"Well, you can if you want," she replied, and pulled out a calling card from her pocket, "That's why I'm giving you this," She handed it to him with a wink, "Call me when you have any free time," then, as he stared wide-eyed at the card in his hands, she sauntered away with a smirk on her lips. Right as she turned the corner and was hidden from view, she dashed into the nearest changing room and slammed the door shut. She panted, and closed her eyes, breathing heavily.

Morgan was waiting inside and practically pounced on her. "So?" she asked eagerly, "How'd it go?" Lucina covered her face with her hands and groaned loudly. Morgan rolled her eyes at her- "Oh come on! It couldn't have been that bad." Lucina slid down the wall, her groans growing louder with each passing second. Even after several pokes from Morgan, she refused to move. Instead, she continued to curl more tightly into herself. Morgan scowled, "Alright fine, if you won't tell me anything, I'll leave you to your suffering. I'm just gonna go and see if I can salvage anything. See you on Monday!" A despairing groan followed her out of the changing room and she laughed.

Robin was still staring blankly at the card Lucina had given when Morgan came running in. He was still trying to comprehend everything that had just happened. His mind drew a complete blank. "Hey uncle~ What have you got there?" she sidled up to him and swiftly snatched the calling card out of his hand. "Oooh! You've got Lucina's card! Are you going to ask her out later?" That seemed to snap him out of his bewilderment. "Morgan..." he sighed, exasperated, "That's really what you're going to ask?"

"Of course!" she chirped. Robin shook his head and said, "Of course. Why did I even ask." He stood up and made for the door without another ward. Morgan chased after him with a grin. "Uncle Robin! Where are you going? You haven't even answered my question yet!"

The other patrons of the gym were very amused.


	2. Chapter 2

Robin fidgeted with his hood for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. He was waiting on the gym's bench again, but this time he wasn't here for Morgan. Instead, he was here for Lucina. He'd finally built up the courage to ask her out a few days ago, and here he was. Or to be more accurate, Morgan had gotten tired of seeing him mope and stare at the business card all day, so she'd called Lucina and shoved the phone in his face.  
  
It was only a matter of time anyway. Once Morgan had her sights set on something, there was no getting in her way.  
  
He'd initially invited Lucina to go out on the weekend, but she was unavailable, so they had to make do with a Friday night. Unfortunately, that meant they had to leave _immediately_ after she finished her work in the gym. Better than never, he thought. He purposefully arrived early at the gym so he could compose himself before they went out.  
  
It... wasn't going quite as well as he thought it would. His outfit drew more attention than he'd expected; then again, he was wearing an odd black hoodie, which didn't really do him any favors. If he had to take a guess, he probably looked more like a criminal than anything else. Wonderful. He should really cut down on the black clothes and formal suits. FEA had ruined his sense of style. Not that he had any in the first place, but still.  
  
He was so lost in thought he didn't even realize that his phone was ringing. It was only after it nearly buzzed out of his pocket did he realize it was happening at all. He grabbed it and swiped at the screen, wondering in curiosity at the name before him. It read, 'Solomon,' in dark blue text.  
  
His eyes narrowed, and he quickly cast a subtle glance around the room. No one was near enough to overhear any conversation he might have.  
  
He swiped the screen and answered, "Solomon? What's come up? I distinctly remember logging a whole eight hours of off time. Why are you calling? " Normally, he wasn't this sharp with Chrom, but come on- even he had his limits. The number of times he had spent off-duty this whole year could be counted on one hand. Did they really have to interrupt him right before he went on a date?  
  
"Sorry for cutting in on your free time, Magpie, but I need you to come in to HQ," he sounded sincerely apologetic, and Robin could do nothing but sigh.  
  
"Sol..." he trailed off, traces of irritation creeping into his voice. Chrom might be the director of FEA, but he had to draw the line somewhere. Otherwise he'd never have time to do anything apart from his job.  
  
"I know, I know. This is the first off day you've taken since the month started, but I need everyone back at HQ," he paused, and Robin pinched the bridge of his nose. That was never a good sign. Chrom never hesitated.   
  
"They're back."  
  
Those two words sent chills running down his spine, and he unconsciously straightened up . There was only one group that didn't warrant an introduction. "...That's impossible. We annihilated them."  
  
"We all thought so. Until someone nearly hacked into our servers today," Robin breathed in sharply. That should have been impossible. FEA's technological defenses were airtight; they had the foremost technological experts working for them. Their security had only ever been seriously breached once. "Thank god Huginn was here, I can't imagine what would have happened if he wasn't. Even then, he barely even pushed the 'hacker' out of our systems. They still ended up getting some intel from our database."  
  
"Are you sure it's them?" he pressed. He still couldn't wrap his head around it.  
  
"Mags," Chrom started, sounding weary, "Who else could have done it? You and I both know there's only a select few capable of breaking through our servers and challenging Huginn." Robin closed his eyes and slowly breathed out. Of course he knew. He just didn't want to acknowledge it.  
  
"It's them, there's no doubt about it. Even Huginn confirmed it, saying that he felt like he was fighting against a crude replica of GRIMA. He mentioned that it was too fast, too efficient, for the method to have been used by a human." Robin heard the hiss of the automatic doors, and assumed somebody must have come in to talk to Chrom. Time to wrap up their conversation.  
  
"Alright," he said. Only one organization would have the means to do a stunt like that, which meant he would have to accept that PLEGIA truly was back. Reluctant though he was, this was far more important than any date of his. He quickly slipped into his tactician persona, pushing out the casual mindset he had for what was supposed to be a normal day. He needed to focus for this, all distractions had to be removed. When he spoke, his tone was firm and precise, all of his earlier reluctance gone. "I assume you've already sent out a red alert?"  
  
"Of course," Chrom answered, "I sent one out the moment Huginn began to work on stopping the breach. Only the Knights on active field duty aren't here. Unfortunately, that means our forces have been depleted. Half of our Knights are on missions right now, most of them too important to be abandoned halfway."  
  
"We can work with that," he said, and started running down possibilities in his head. Grabbing a pen and paper from his bag, he started to sketch down potential scenarios. He ran through every situation and every possible solution in his head. "Considering the fact that PLEGIA's digital attack failed, there's a high chance they'll pursue a physical attack next. We'll have to stay on red alert for a few weeks."  
  
"You're right," A new voice replied grimly, "They know where we are. It was foolish for us not to move base, after their attack three years ago. If PLEGIA truly is making a comeback, it's only a matter of time until they strike at our HQ. Especially since they succeeded, the last time they tried something on this scale."  
  
Robin immediately recognized Laurent's voice. He would be hard-pressed not to. Laurent was currently serving as his apprentice, and he'd spent many hours with the young man. He must have been the one who entered Chrom's office earlier. Most likely for a post-assessment report.  
  
"Hello, Owl. Nice of you to join us," Robin said, and shifted the phone to his left hand. With his right hand now free, he checked the time. Only ten more minutes until he and Lucina were supposed to meet. He wasn't looking forward to telling her that he had to cancel, not when they'd spent such a long time to try and align their schedules together. "I trust you've already set Defense Formation #2 into motion?"  
  
"I have," Laurent responded confidently, and Robin suppressed a smile. He could practically hear Laurent pushing his spectacles up. It was a nervous tick of his, a little gesture he did during high-pressure situations. "Although I regret to admit that there are some parts of HQ that cannot be put under 24/7 supervision, because of the aforementioned staff constraints."  
  
Robin sighed again. How many times had he done that today? Of all the times that FEA had to have low numbers, it had to be now! Then again, that was probably why PLEGIA chose to attack now in the first place. FEA was vulnerable, and they knew it.  
  
"Damn," he cursed under his breath, "For now, try and fill the empty spots with our Assassin and Mercenary forces. Unless they're placed in open spaces, then in that case fill them with Mages." The fact that he had to pull the Assassins into guard duty showed exactly just how low they were running on staff. If only the other Knights could get back from their respective missions, they wouldn't be having this problem. Assassins were usually confined to infiltration and interrogation duties. Despite that fact however, they were more than capable of combat if the situation arose. 

"Very well. Is there anything else you wish to add?" Laurent asked. The sound of shuffling papers filtered through the phone.   
  
"I want you to start drawing up more efficient strategies. It'll take me some time to get back to HQ, and I can't keep in contact on my way there. That's a lot of time wasted, and we cannot afford to do that." He drew a deep breath, and continued, "I trust that with the information you have at your disposal, you'll be able to start the basis for a better defense. We'll merge our strategies once I get there, alright?"  
  
There was a beat of stunned silence on the other end of the phone. Robin held his breath, trying to gauge if it was good or bad. This was the first time Laurent would create a strategy of this magnitude without the aid or supervision of any other senior tactician. Mark and Virion were off on a diplomatic mission to create connections with a rival company. No one else apart from him could help Laurent; and he couldn't even do that at the moment. Worse yet, this wasn't a simple exercise whose consequences could easily be mitigated if he failed. No- This was life and death. Could he trust Laurent to do this?  
  
"...Alright. I assure you that I all the necessary preparations will be completed once you return."  
  
What a ridiculous question. Of course he could trust Laurent. The man was competent and trustworthy, a fact he was eternally grateful for. If Laurent hadn't been as competent as he was, Robin probably would have gone insane years ago. What's more, is that Laurent had the makings of a great tactician. A few more years, and he would be well on his way to become Robin's right hand man. He sighed in relief and continued speaking.  
  
"Excellent. I'll be there in a few hours. See you soon." He hung up and placed the phone back in his jacket pocket. Another look at his watch told him that there was only a minute left till he and Lucina were due to meet.  
  
As if she could read his mind, Lucina burst through the double doors leading into the center and came running towards him. Other patrons jolted at her sudden entrance and turned towards her with a disapproving gaze. Lucina didn't seem to mind, or most likely, she didn't even notice. She skidded to a stop a few meters in front of him. Her hair stuck to her neck, and beads of sweat dripped down her forehead. Her jacket was buttoned unevenly, and a duffel bag that looked to be about half her size was slung over one shoulder.   
  
"Robin-!"  
  
"Lucina-"  
  
They both called out their names at the same time. They stopped and looked at each other, startled. Robin blinked and stared at her with concern, an unspoken _are you okay?_ conveyed through his eyes. Lucina tried to speak again.  
  
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I need to go. A family emergency came up, and my mom called me telling me to come back home. They need my help," she said, all the words coming out in a rush. "Gods, I feel horrible just saying this, but I need to put a rain check on our date tonight." She messed with the hem of her jacket and frowned. "I know it sounds like an excuse to escape our date, but I swear it isn't. I would never do that."  
  
Robin hurriedly tried to reassure her. "No, no, I trust you. Don't worry." Lucina breathed a sigh of relief at that, and some of the pent-up tension she was holding inside left her shoulders. "Besides, I kind of have an emergency of my own. Mine is related to work instead of family," he smiled sheepishly, "I was just about to tell you, but you kind of beat me to it."  
  
"Seriously?" she asked incredulously, "Something came up with you too?"  
  
"Yep," he answered and she shook her head in disbelief.  
  
"I can't believe this. What kind of luck do we have that our emergencies would happen at the exact same time?" Robin shrugged.   
  
"It's just a case of really bad timing, I guess," he said. After a beat, he stood up and smiled tentatively. "We can continue our date some other time, right?"  
  
"Of course," she answered immediately. "I'll see you soon, Robin." With that, she practically ran out of the gym. The sound of a sharp whistle slipped in just as the door swung shut, and he saw a bright a yellow cab stop in front of her. Within seconds, she was out of sight.   
  
Robin sighed and lamented the loss of what he thought was simply going to be a relaxing night. Somehow, whenever he tried to have a day to himself, it always ended like this. Something would come up, and he'd be called back to FEA. After a few seconds of self-pity, he went outside and hailed a cab for himself.   
  
On average, it took around one to two hours for him to get from the gym to HQ. Add to that regular rush-hour traffic, and it would probably take him close to three hours to get back to base. With nothing but his phone and a few other items, it seemed like he was up for a very long ride.  
  
Might as well get the best out of it, he thought, and grabbed a pen and paper out of his bag. He began sketching the layout of the HQ building, each detail drawn carefully from memory. While his drawings weren't exactly the pinnacle of art and style, they were practical, and served their intended purpose. The following hours went by quickly, as he thought and sketched and planned.


	3. Chapter 3

Laurent was nervous.  
  
This was his first big break, an opportunity to show off his skill and talent for everyone to marvel at. Oh sure, he didn't want to brag, but it would be nice to see some recognition. He had only been at the agency for close to a year, and he had yet to show anything remarkable to his superiors. His mother had told him that he shouldn't care, that his work would be sufficient proof of his abilities, and yet he still couldn't help but feel inadequate.   
  
Robin had done much to improve his skills, but he still felt it wasn't enough. He had this unreasonable need to prove himself, to show the world what he was capable of, and until he could accomplish that goal, he would never truly be content with himself. And now, it seemed like an opportunity had presented itself. While he wasn't leading a mission or a fight, HQ's defense formation was equally as important as a battle strategy. It was both a blessing and a curse. With this project, he could either prove himself capable of handling more difficult missions solo, or fail utterly and lead FEA into ruin.  
  
So. No pressure.  
  
He went to the storage room, made a beeline for the office supplies aisle and grabbed several large rolls of paper, along with a case of pencils and another case of black markers. He also grabbed a roll of tape and a box of push-pins. He tried to balance them all on top of the other, culminating in an unstable pile of supplies which could topple at any moment.  
  
Carefully, he stepped out of the room, slowly taking steps forward. The Tacticians' Department was near the storage room, separated only by the bridge between the Barracks and the Administrative building. It shouldn't take long for him to reach Robin's office. It was where the planning for most large-scale operations were conducted.   
  
As he turned the corner, he could hear the loud patter of footsteps, which could only come from someone who was running full tilt. There was a shout of, "Get out of the way!" and he tried to do as the voice said. To his chagrin however, he still bumped into someone, leading to all of his supplies to come crashing down. The sound of metal scraping against metal followed, making him cringe away involuntarily. Altogether, it created a spectacular cacophony of sound which disturbed the peace of the relatively silent hallway.   
  
Laurent managed to catch himself from completely tripping over and falling flat on his face. Several years of training drilled into him by his father allowed him to keep his balance as everything else fell down, albeit with lots of arm flailing.  
  
The person he bumped into maintained their balance with much more grace than he did. They barely even wobbled. When he got a good look at them, it suddenly made much more sense. It was Henry, one of the protégées Chrom and Emmeryn had taken in. He was a genius, both in the lab, and in combat. Laurent's mind instinctively brought up details about him.   
  
Having read his profile, he knew Henry was responsible for many of the more... deadly and unusual innovations FEA currently had in their possession. He also remembered the memo next to Henry's fighting style, which was noted for both its efficiency and its brutality. Even FEA members where wary of sparring with him, as his opponents usually came away with busted lips, bruises, and dislocated bones. Nowadays, only the best fighters were willing to spar with Henry.  
  
All of that information ran through Laurent's head as he watched Henry.   
  
"How annoying," Henry stated with a slight frown. "Do you know how long it took for me to sort all this scrap metal? I _hate_ doing menial tasks." He narrowed his eyes at Laurent.   
  
"I offer you my sincere apologies," Laurent said, unwilling to get into a fight, "However," he added, "Kindly refrain from placing all of the blame at my feet. You were running in the hallway, with absolutely no regard for the people, such as I, who might be passing through." He adjusted his glasses and stared at Henry straight on. "I believe I am not amiss when I request an apology from you as well."  
  
"Fine," Henry said, pouting. Laurent couldn't believe it. This was the man the Mages idolized and adored? This was one of the men the director had considered worthy enough to take in and mentor? This was the first time Laurent had spoken to him in a casual environment. Whenever Laurent had seen him working, Henry was always serious. Sure, he would still crack jokes and make puns in his usual, disturbing, manner. But underneath it all he would remain professional. He would never do anything to jeopardize his job.  
  
The man standing before him now was nothing at all like the scientist Laurent had expected him to be.   
  
"I'm sorry," Henry said, with an innocent, sickly sweet smile. "I'll make it up to you later. But for now," his expression turned serious, and Laurent tensed, "I need to get this pile of scrap back to the R  & D Department. Saleh said he needed it for one of his projects."  
  
Despite the alarm bells ringing in Laurent's mind, he nodded and even bent down to help him pick up the various pieces of metal. With the two of them working together, they sorted everything in a few minutes. When Henry had all the containers filled with metal once more, he immediately gathered them all up in his arms, muttered a quick thanks and dashed off in the opposite direction.  
  
Laurent sighed. He hadn't missed the look in Henry's eyes when he said he would pay him back later. He could only hope Henry's retribution wouldn't be too bad. Hopefully.  
  
Shaking his head, Laurent swiftly picked up all of his supplies. Unlike the last time, he didn't just pile everything on top of each other. He certainly didn't want a repeat of what happened.  
  
Eventually, he arrived at his destination, this time without incident. Robin's office was beautiful, as usual. With high ceilings, tall windows, several papers littered with scribbles and figures, and the never-ending supply of books. There were just so many books. An entire wall was dedicated for them, and yet somehow, Robin found a way to leave out even more books lying around the room. He winced internally. For such a brilliant person, Robin was not exactly the best at keeping his room tidy.  
  
Quite frankly, it was ridiculous. But Laurent loved it nonetheless. This room was one of his favorites inside the whole compound, and he suspected he would never tire of it. The room had an air of organized chaos; in spite of the various random objects scattered all throughout, they all somehow looked as if they were meant to be in whatever location they were in.  
  
It made the room feel cozy; almost.   
  
Laurent moved one of the lighter tables to the back of the room, pushing the one previously located there, to the side. He spread the roll of paper in his hands, so that it encompassed the whole surface. There were holograms he could use for this sort of thing, tablets Miriel had created which could produce holograms for this exact purpose, but he had yet to completely accustom himself to their mechanics. He was not alone in this; in fact many FEA employees had yet to even receive training on how to use the device. The tablets were a new innovation. Miriel had finished her work only a few weeks before, and even then she had to work out some bugs which presented themselves after other departments tested them. 

  
So far, only Mages had full use of these tablets' capabilities. It was to be expected, they did develop it after all. However, until they could produce more of it, the rest of the agency could wait.  
  
Laurent grabbed a map of the compound and pinned it up on the wall in front of him to use as a reference. He pulled out a tablet from his bag, _not_  the one meant for holographic diagrams, but the normal type. He brought up a photo of the list of active employees he could use, and focused first on the Knights. They were the agency's main combat force; used primarily to complete missions and guard Headquarters from any and all assailants.   
  
With a pencil and a marker, he began to mark down the best spots for them to stand guard. He had to cover all entrances, exits, and any vulnerable spots for two, five-story buildings and the area surrounding it, while taking into consideration the staff restraints and the inside knowledge PLEGIA had on the base.  
  
Laurent lost himself in the work. Mark after mark was made on the paper, color-coded to separate the units from one another. He paired Mages with Knights, so they could support them using the different gadgets and technology they were so fond of. Mercenaries would be in the shadows, in discreet, subtle areas where their skill at stealth would be most effective.   
  
For about two hours, he did much of the same, although he was barely aware of time passing. He vaguely remembered Gerome checking on him once. It might have had something to so with the snacks which suddenly appeared on the table, or the bottle of water, but he wasn't sure.  
  
Eventually, there was a knock on the door. He answered with an absent-minded, "Enter!" and continued to stare at the map to look for any more inconsistencies. He didn't look up when the door opened, still too engrossed in his planning to bother.  
  
"Have you eaten lunch yet, Laurent?" A voice suddenly asked, and Laurent whipped his head up when he recognized it as Robin's. His mentor was standing in the doorway, an amused expression on his face. He held a tray with cafeteria-packed food and several cans of iced coffee in his hands.   
  
Laurent jumped up to help him carry the tray in, but he retreated backwards when Robin shooed him away. For once in the last few hours, Laurent moved away from the maps and diagrams. He helped Robin remove everything from the tray and together, they place them on a table for them to eat.  
  
"Gerome's been complain-" Robin coughed, "I mean, _reporting_ that you haven't eaten dinner yet. And that you barely acknowledged him when he came up to give you food earlier." He looked at him, and Laurent resisted the urge to fidget. While it was true he'd been hard at work for a few hours, he didn't think it warranted a complaint from Gerome. He did say 'thank you' when his friend had brought him sandwiches. At least he thought he said thank you. He's pretty sure he did. That counted as not ignoring him, right?  
  
"Knowing you," Robin continued with a smile, "You probably haven't moved from this room since you first entered it, right?" Laurent shrugged. It was true. "Thought so. Going off of that assumption, I decided to go and get us both food from the canteen. Coffee too, seeing as we're probably going to pull an all-nighter for this." He pushed the container of food towards Laurent. "Now, _eat_. Or else we'll have Gerome stomping up here to scold the both of us."  
  
Laurent winced at the mental image. When he reached out to grab the plastic utensils, he noticed Robin standing up instead of opening his own food container. "Robin, are you not going to eat?"  
  
"Hm?" Robin looked back at him. He was already halfway to the map table. "Not yet. I want to look over what you've done so far before I eat." He shrugged. "I'm not even hungry anyway. I'll save my food for later." He continued walking and eventually stopped in front of the table. He hummed a quiet tone as he inspected the map. The table is neat and organized, with only the map, a few writing implements, a notebook, and a few sheets of paper to be seen on top. It's a sharp contrast to the rest of his room, which looked like a hurricane had passed through. Internally, he appreciates Laurent's sense of tidiness. He knew he himself would never be able to be this tidy when working.  
  
"The legends for the colored marks are written in the notebook." Laurent said from across the room. He's speaking through a mouthful of rice, so his words come out slightly muffled. Still, Robin is able to understand him.  
  
Robin nodded. He picked up the notebook and flipped through it, until he reached a page with the words 'Legends' written across the top in Laurent's cursive. He smiled inwardly. Laurent wrote in cursive whenever he was in a rush, but somehow he still managed to make his writing look *good*. Of course he did. The man was nothing short of a perfectionist.  
  
Using the notebook as a guide, he interpreted the map. For a minute or two, there was a comfortable silence, as Robin continued to work. He would occasionally trace a finger over sections of the map, muttering quietly to himself. He would grab a pencil and make notes on a sheet of paper, while he hummed a quiet tune. He was already completely absorbed, something which Laurent marveled at. How quickly Robin had managed to lose himself in work! It was as if someone had flipped a switch.  
  
Now, as Laurent slowly and methodically made his way through his meal, subtle strands of anxiety brushed against the back of his mind. He would be lying if he said he wasn't the least bit nervous about Robin's assessment. With every bite of his meal, he would subtly look up and sneak a glance at his mentor. While Robin was normally very expressive around his friends, now, the man's expression was completely unreadable. His face was kept in a fine line between neutral and pleasant, so Laurent could derive no conclusions from it.  
  
Eventually, Robin finished with his inspection and sat down to look over what he'd written. Laurent was close to finishing his meal, so he swallowed the last few spoonfuls and closed the styrofoam package. He popped open the can of iced coffee and took a sip. After a minute or so, he could feel the effects kick in, and he stood from his seat, energized. Robin glanced up from the papers he was reading, and beckoned Laurent to come over.  
  
"All of the work you've done so far is impressive," he began, and Laurent unconsciously straightened up in pride. "No offense, but I didn't expect you to be able to accomplish so much in," Robin checked his watch, "about three hours."  
  
"I'm glad I've been able to exceed your expectations then." The corner of Robin's lips turned up, and he patted Laurent on the arm. "I knew I could count on you."   
  
"Anyway," Robin continued, "There are a few problems here and there. Nothing too major," he hurried to reassure his apprentice when an intense expression takes over, "just some minor details which can be adjusted."   
  
"Ah, of course. Can you point them out?" Laurent asked, adjusting his glasses. Robin nodded, and gestured for Laurent to move closer.  
  
Laurent pulled a chair over to the table and took a seat beside his mentor. "You see this hall here?" Robin leaned forward to tap a section of the map. "You're right to put a guard detail there, considering it's one of the more vulnerable locations in our headquarters. However," he took a pencil and drew an ellipse around two blue marks, "The Knights are placed way too close to the door."   
  
He turned to face Laurent, and continued to explain with a serious expression, "There are several ways a hostile individual could enter through the door; I could name at least three on the spot, but I don't think I need to, do I?"  
  
Laurent shook his head. "No. I can visualize the problem now." He frowned. "I do not understand how I was able to miss such a glaring flaw in my scheme."  
  
"It's alright," Robin patted him on the shoulder. "This is why we always double, triple, _and_ quadruple check every plan before we put it into motion." He twirled the pencil in his hand, turning it over and under his knuckles, "Why do you think there's more than one tactician, hm? We make sure none of our mistakes leave the planning room, and affect anyone else."  
  
Laurent nodded intently, taking in Robin's words. "My gratitude. I am glad you were able to point out my error. I do not know what I would have done if it ended up with someone getting hurt, if you had not caught it."  
  
"Don't mention it, Laurent. It *is *my job to make sure everything goes smoothly." Robin shrugged. "Anyway, I have a few more things to point out. They're easily remedied, but I thought you'd like the chance to know what was wrong with them before I did anything."  
  
"Ah yes, thank you for your consideration." Laurent said, and picked up a pencil of his own. He took the notebook, carefully pulling it over Robin's arms and placed it in the palm of his hand. Taking literal note of his mistakes would help him, so as not to repeat any of them in the future.  
  
They spend the rest of the night working, and take up most of the hours leading into dawn to finish the planned formation and polish all the mistakes. By four am, they already had tentative names assigned to most of the marks on the map. An impressive feat; they had considered each unit's strengths and weaknesses and paired people off based on how well they could work together. Even if they were running short on staff, the people they did have were sure to be utilized to their maximum potential.  
  
It was something, at least. Robin hoped it would be enough. He wasn't sure he could handle the devastation of losing more friends to PLEGIA.  
  
At that point, both Robin and Laurent were exhausted. They were practically running on just coffee and sheer willpower. When Laurent finally wrote down the final name, the two collapsed to the floor in relief (they'd somehow made their way from the table to the floor at around one am). Laurent let out a loud groan. He closed his eyes, throwing his arm over his face to block out the light in the office. Beside him, Robin rolled over to his side and lay face down on the carpet. When did the floor become so comfortable? The temptation to simply close his eyes and go to sleep is strong.  
  
In fact, he actually does fall asleep for several minutes, before Laurent finally rouses him with a lackluster shake. "Robin." He vaguely heard Laurent's voice through a murky haze of exhaustion, a coffee crash, and sleep deprivation. "Robin, wake up." He ignored the voice. Maybe it would go away if he didn't acknowledge it. Laurent nudged him again, and he breathed a deep, deep, sigh, before pushing himself up. Duty first.  
  
He opened his eyes to find Laurent staring- no, squinting at him through glass-less eyes. He must have removed them during his impromptu nap. "Sorry," Robin apologized. His voice is soft and hoarse, but Laurent heard his response anyway. "We should probably get this map to Chrom. For his approval. Then, we can distribute the new positions for everyone. They can spend the rest of the day reorganizing themselves."   
  
Robin picked himself up off the ground. He offered his hand to Laurent and pulled him up. Together, they rolled up the map and secured the resulting scroll with a rubber band.   
  
With map in hand, they left the room and headed for Chrom's office. They passed by several other people along the way, including Gerome, who frowned once he saw the state they were in. Robin shrugged, and gestured with a _'what can you do'_ motion. Gerome shook his head and moved to join them.  
  
"Have the two of you been working all night?" He asked, matching their pace as they moved through the halls.   
  
"Yes." Laurent answered. He tightened his grip around the map, waiting for the inevitable scolding.  
  
"I understand the urgency of the matter, but you should have-" And there it was. He tuned out the rest of Gerome's words, feeling slightly guilty, but not enough to continue listening again. After a few minutes, he felt Gerome nudge him rather forcefully on his side. "You're not listening, are you?"  
  
Before he could respond, Robin cut in. "If it makes you feel better, I'll make sure Laurent gets at least three hours of sleep later today." Laurent tried to protest, but to no avail.   
  
"With an emergency on this scale," Robin said, "It's inevitable that certain sacrifices have to be made."   
  
Gerome shook his head in despair. "I understand. Just..." he turned to Laurent, "Take care of yourself. Keep your health in mind whenever you work. For my own peace of mind, at least." They stared at each other for a few seconds too long.   
  
Robin coughed, and the two looked away from each other with a start. Gerome even turned away, an attempt to conceal the red blooming on his cheeks.  
  
"Well," Robin said, a knowing smile on his face, "Laurent and I will be on our way. See you later." He walked forwards, expecting Laurent to follow him without question.  
  
With one last look at Gerome, Laurent walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eyyyyyy- surprise! i'm not dead :D that's a good thing, right? also, apologies for the long delay in between chapters. i'd love to promise a more regular schedule, but school is starting soon, and i'm not sure i'd be able to keep that promise. oh but on the bright side, i plan to update at least two more times before this month ends. hopefully i can do it!
> 
> comment down below what you think of this chapter! even if it's just a keyboard smash, i really, really, appreciate it! it's the best motivation for writing, let me tell you!


	4. Chapter 4

"I told you to stay where you were, Butterfly." Chrom said, turning to face the wall. "I don't want you here. It's too dangerous." He frowned, and lowered his voice. His grip on the phone tightened. "Besides, you have your own mission. Now go back home."

"Everyone is coming back to Headquarters, Solomon, and you expect me to do _nothing_?" A woman's voice filtered through the phone, firm and upset. "I know you're understaffed, Owl told me-! He told me everything. I know what's going on over there."

Chrom pinched the bridge of his nose. "Damn it." he muttered quietly to himself. Not quietly enough, however.

"Don't blame him," she said, "He agrees with me. Even he thinks I should be there, and that, is saying something."

 "No, means  _no_ , Lu- Butterfly." Her name almost slipped from his mouth, barely catching himself from saying it. He leaned forward, and spoke very slowly into his phone. "What you were doing is just as important as what we're doing here. Now, more than ever, I need you to complete your mission."

 "I am getting nowhere with Aversa! It's been four months and I've yet to talk to her face to face." He could practically hear the frustration in her voice. Normally, he would commend her for her resolve. Not this time.

 "Listen to me." Chrom breathed deeply. He didn't want to lose his temper now. Their conversation could very easily blow up into an argument, which was the exact opposite of what he wanted. "I understand you want to help, I truly do." He told her what she needed to hear. "But there's nothing you can do here that other Knights can't, alright? Nothing. What you can do, is turn around go back home. Find other ways of getting to Aversa. Now, more than ever, we need to get her on our side. Or at least get information out of her. If PLEGIA truly is back, and I'm certain they are, we're going to need everything we can use against them."

 "It's taking too long," she protested, but her voice was not as firm as it was before.

 "It's a deep undercover mission, of course it's going to take a long time! It takes time and effort to build reputation in a new environment, and you are the only person who can do this for us. Unlike everyone else, you do not have any other current responsibilities that need tending to, and more importantly, your face isn't familiar to Aversa. Few others in FEA can lay claim to this, which is why you have been assigned this mission, not anyone else." He took a breath, "I understand you're impatient. From your perspective, it can seem as if you're doing nothing more than living your life. I can assure you, that you aren't. And if your first few attempts to approach Aversa didn't work? Fine. Try a different approach. That doesn't work? Try another. And another. And another. Until you finally get to her. But don't come here unless I give explicit orders for you to do so. If you can't follow this order," he began, hating himself for what he was about to say, "Then how can you be trusted to follow any order I give in the future, should you start working for FEA?"

 A sharp intake of breath, then- complete silence. If it wasn't for the fact that he didn't hear a dial tone (and that he knew her well) he would have thought that she had hung up on him.

The door to his office suddenly opened, and he turned around in his seat. Robin and Laurent entered the room. They held a large scroll of paper in between them. He winced at their appearances; messy hair, bags under their eyes, and that  _look_  which just screamed sleep deprivation. Another sleepless night for the tacticians.

"We will not speak of this more, Butterfly." He saw Laurent's eyebrows raise, but apart from that, he had no other visible reaction. "Go home." He moved his phone away from his ear and tapped disconnect. With a weary sigh, he locked the phone inside his table's drawers and looked up at the head tactician and his apprentice.

"Good morning Robin, Laurent." He inclined his head towards the two of them. "I'm going to assume that that scroll in your hands is the defense formation we're going yo implement?"

Laurent nodded. "It is."

"Excellent," Chrom said, and stood up. "Leave it here, and I will look it over. In the meantime," he cast a sympathetic look at the two, "Get some sleep. It wouldn't do for my head tactician or his apprentice to collapse in the halls, would it?"

Robin didn't even try to protest. As much as he wanted to stay awake and aid Chrom, he truly did need sleep. Even an hour of rest would do wonders for his mental fatigue. Besides, if he tried to argue, Chrom would simply use his words to change his mind. He could be very persuasive, if he wanted to.

Laurent however, was less agreeable. "I can do more-" Chrom glared at him. All of Laurent's well thought arguments died at his lips. He never could argue against his father when he looked at him like that. Sufficiently cowed, Laurent backed down and placed the map scroll on Chrom's table.

Robin bit back an amused smile. Chrom and Laurent clashing heads over was a common enough argument, and yet Chrom never failed to win. A single glare from him was enough to make Laurent retreat. A leftover effect from Laurent's childhood, no doubt. Some habits never died.

"We'll take our leave, Chrom," Robin said, his eyes twinkling. He laid a hand on Laurent's shoulder and gently pulled him away. "We'll be in the Barracks. Send someone to wake us if something important happens."

"Of course." Chrom smiled. "Go, even I can see you are sorely in need of rest."

With that, the two tacticians left the office and headed for the barracks. It wasn't  _actually_ as rough or as poorly built as its namesake; rather, it was more like an apartment complex, built solely for the convenience of FEA employees. Whenever an agent couldn't return to their homes for some reason, or if they were working on something which required their presence on the base for an extended period of time, they would stay at the Barracks.There probably was a better name for the place, but the name the Knights had given it had stuck. No one had bothered to change it since then.

Robin and Laurent went their separate ways, each heading for their own rooms. It wasn't an unusual occurrence for them to stay at HQ overnight, so their rooms were well-furnished and always available for their use. The moment their heads landed on their respective beds, they almost immediately fell asleep.

Chrom, on the other hand, was still in his office. He was currently inspecting the map plans Robin and Laurent had left him. He had the last say on whether or not the plan would be implemented, so he had to be absolutely certain there were no mistakes. As he stared down at the map, he found it difficult to focus. His eyes ran over the words and symbols, but his mind refused to process them. His thoughts kept wandering to PLEGIA against his will.

The entire opposing organization was a sore point for the members of FEA. No one had forgotten the raid which had nearly decimated them a few years past. No one had forgiven either, not even him. As much as Chrom tried to avoid reminiscing, the memory slipped past him and forced itself to the forefront of his mind.

_Everyone was in high spirits. Almost the entire organization was gathered in the main hall, celebrating their recent victory over PLEGIA. It had been a large mission, one everyone had been involved in. They had discovered that a plot to kill a prominent member of Parliament was in motion, but thanks to the information one of their Sages had found, they were able to prevent the attempt with ease. It took meticulous planning, the usage of many of the organization's resources, and a considerable amount of manpower to ensure the safety of the target, but they managed it._

_As a reward, Chrom permitted Virion to host a celebration. So long as it was in Headquarters, of course. It was the only safe place for so many members of their agency to congregate._

_The only thought in Chrom's mind as he looked around the hall, was that Virion really knew how to throw a party. The man toed the line between fun and formal, ensuring that everyone who attended would have an enjoyable time._

_Chrom grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, and took a sip. His gaze swept over the entire hall, watching the events almost lazily. It was rare for everyone to be together for something that wasn't a crisis or emergency of some sort. A relaxed air blanketed the venue._

_No one was ready when the first blast occurred. An explosion rocked the foundations of the building, throwing everyone off their feet._

_Chrom was thrown into a table, the wood splintering at the force of his landing. His head hit the surface, and he blacked out. When he came to, his ears were ringing, and smoke surrounded him. His eyes watered, and his entire body ached._

_With a groan, he forced himself to roll to the side and get up. His vision was unfocused, and a constant pounding beat in his ears. Chrom was fairly sure he had a mild concussion._ _After what felt like an eternity, he took his first step forward. There was too much smoke for him to see anything, and heat burned his skin. Flames danced around him, flickering and giving the hall an ominous red light._

_A hand grasped at his shoulders. His first instinct was to go for the gun he kept at his hip, but it was gone. The grip on his shoulders tightened and twisted him around. Eyes that seemed to be gleaming amidst the smoke and the flames showed themselves to him; a wrath so deeply felt could be seen with them, and he found himself resisting the urge to shiver. It was only Henry._

_"Chrom." Henry said, and pulled him closer. "Are you alright?" There was an edge to his voice, one Chrom remembered hearing whenever Robin was hurt._

_"'M fine," Chrom answered, his words coming out slurred. The world still spun, and he found it difficult to focus. "I can still fight." He tried another step forward, but the floor surged at him, and he found himself grabbing onto Henry's arm for support._

_"No. You're getting out." There was no room for discussion, and Chrom had to admire the firmness in his tone. "Colm!" Henry shouted, his cry somehow cutting through the battlefield and catching a certain Rogue's attention. He was engaged in battle with a Plegian operative; at Henry's call however, his energy was seemingly renewed, and he drove a knife straight through his enemy's neck._

_Colm had already turned and ran in Henry's direction before the body had even finished falling to the floor._ _In seconds, he was standing before Henry. His chest rose and fell with heaving breaths, and the cloak around his shoulders was torn. Two knives were clutched tightly in his hands; he made quite a sight._

_Henry inclined his head towards Chrom. "He took a pretty bad knock to the head. Get him somewhere safe."_

_"Understood." Colm answered. Together with Henry, he pulled Chrom up and slung the director's hand over his shoulders._

_"I'll have Louise support you from afar." Henry said, and removed a clip from his shirt's pocket. With a flick of his hand, the clip unfolded to reveal a communications device. He placed it in his ear and pressed a button. A blue light appeared and static started to filter through._

_"Knights, report." No response. He tried again, tapping lightly at the earpiece. "Knights, report."_

_"Here!"_

_"Kinda busy right now!"_

_"Orders?"_

_"Ready, sir."_

_A chorus of voices responded, and Henry smirked. "Everyone, find each and every single threat, and eliminate them. Kill on sight. Should you locate the enemy's leader, capture them. And Falcon-" he couldn't risk using real names now, not when there was a very real possibility of their channels being hacked, "Come to the source of the blast. Solomon and Lynx need cover."_

_"Understood." A female voice cut through the wave of affirmations. "I'm on my way."_

_Henry temporarily cut his connection. He turned to Colm. "Can you hold out until Louise gets here?"_

_Colm nodded sharply. The hand not supporting Chrom held a knife, and Chrom himself was armed with a gun. His grip on the firearm was deceptively loose; but his thumb ghosted over the trigger, ready to shoot any threat at a moment's notice._

_"Good. Now I'm going to go have some fun." A wide, manic, grin split his face, transforming his serious expression to something that made Colm want to flinch away._

_Henry reached into his coat to grab a baton-like object from his coat. He twirled it in his hands, and a built-in mechanism allowed the baton to extend until it was half his height._ _With the sudden change, the baton began to look more like a staff. Henry pressed a button. Something which looked suspiciously like a spearhead revealed itself. Another press of a button, and the tip began to crackle with electricity._

_Henry moved his hand near the spearhead, keeping it just far enough to not be electrocuted. He watched the electricity snap and crackle at the palm of his hand, and smiled. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes; Chrom was reminded of just how vicious Henry could be. It almost made him feel sorry for their enemies. Almost._

_Manic giggles began to spill from Henry's lips, and he strode into the smoke and the fire. He was practically trembling. Within seconds, he was confronted by two men- both wielding guns. Their purple clothing covered with ocular designs was a dead giveaway. They were members of the Grimleal._

_Chrom watched as the realization practically made Henry snarl with rage. The Grimleal were the most vicious members of PLEGIA. They were the ones tasked with assassinations, bombings, and the like. As Henry dashed towards them, the only thing on his mind was anger at their audacity to attack his home._

_While the two men recovered from the shock of seeing him, he had already crossed the distance between them. He disabled one of then by jabbing the spear at their thighs. The man crumpled, going down with a wail of pain._

_The other man learned quickly. As soon as he saw his partner fall, he jumped aside. Henry's spear landed exactly where the man was, barely a second later. He tried to turn around, but the man never even got a chance to raise his gun. Henry moved unbelievably fast; he struck at a sensitive point at the other man's neck._

_The man collapsed. Henry picked up their gun, and shot him in the head. Then he removed the bullets and dismantled the gun, all in a matter of a few seconds. He filled his pockets with the leftover ammunition. He might need it sometime in the near future._

_The next few minutes passed by in a haze. All Henry's victims began to blur together. He slashed and electrocuted and beat his way through the Grimleal, leaving naught but a bloody trail in his wake._

_Eventually, the smoke cleared. The hall was almost completely destroyed. Table and chairs were overturned, the walls and floor were scorched with blast marks, corpses were haphazardly spread around, and FEA agents were scattered throughout the entire room. A group of FEA agents were clustered at the front of the hall, and Henry jogged towards them. A heavy weight started to settle in his gut, and he jogged faster._

_The agents parted before him, and he was met with a sight which stopped him in his tracks. L'Arachel was kneeling on the ground, tending to someone he couldn't see. She moved aside, revealing Emmeryn as the person she was tending to. Henry's breath caught in his throat- A bolt of fear tore through him, and he blinked rapidly, as if to confirm the sight before him. Emmeryn couldn't be hurt. She couldn't. Emmeryn had practically raised him and Robin, he couldn't even think of what he would do if she was gone._

_Somehow, Henry stumbled forwards. He dug his fingers into the palm of his hand, squeezing so hard that he could feel blood oozing from his hand.  
_

_"E-Emmeryn?" He said. His own voice sounded distant to him._

_Chrom raised his arm and blocked Henry from getting close. He shook his head. Henry absently wondered when he got there. Wasn't Chrom supposed to be away from here? Stubborn as always._

_L'Arachel didn't turn to look at him. Her hands were preoccupied with trying to staunch the bleeding from Emmeryn's wounds. But she was failing. "Stay back."_

_An eternity passed. L'Arachel stood up, her eyes guarded, and faced Chrom. "I'm sorry."_

Chrom shook his head. He couldn't dwell on the past now. There were things to do, excursions to plan, and an organization to run. The past could wait. He needed to focus on the future. With a sigh, he seemed to be doing that a lot lately, he turned his attention back to the maps. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so im a liar .-. i said i would update before the end of may and look where we are now. I AM SORRY.


	5. Chapter 5

Robin woke up to an annoying beeping right next to his ear. It was his phone; the beeping originated from the alarm he had set earlier. Feeling slightly less his brain had been through a blender, he switched off his alarm and stood up. His body cried out at the loss of his bed and his blanket, but he forged onward. His stomach growled, and he realized he hadn’t eaten since last night. Or was it this dawn? Either way, it had been a long time.

He spent the next few minutes trying to make himself look somewhat presentable. A hot shower, a change of clothes, and the use of a comb did wonders for his appearance.

As he shrugged on his coat, somebody knocked at his door. He slipped his arm through the sleeve and twisted the doorknob. Laurent was standing in the doorway with one of the most miserable expressions Robin had ever seen. And Robin could see why. Laurent's coat was no longer its trademark scarlet. Instead, it had become a shade of black, so dark that it looked like it was sucking out all the light in its surroundings.

Robin stared.

"Chrom has called us to have lunch with him and the other department heads. They’re waiting in the hall." Laurent muttered, trying and failing to deflect attention from his coat. Internally, Robin resisted the urge to point out that Laurent looked like Dracula.

"Oh..." Robin began, unsure of how to address the issue of his apprentice's coat. "Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

Laurent followed Robin's line of sight, and somehow began to look even more dejected than before. "Henry's work," he finally admitted.

"I ran into him yesterday, and he wasn't _pleased._ " Laurent swept his coat forward and presented the cloth to Robin. "This is the result of his displeasure."

Robin stepped out of his room and patted Laurent on the shoulder. "I'm sure it's only temporary. Besides, it suits you; makes you look more professional." He smirked. "I'm sure Gerome would agree."

Laurent opened his mouth, but found no words to be forthcoming. He flushed, a faint pink blooming on his cheeks. Without another word, he whirled around and started walking towards the dining hall. Robin didn't miss the way Laurent flicked his coat collar up to cover his cheeks. He shook his head, marveling at how easy it was to fluster Laurent with one mention of Gerome. The cold, rational, part of him saw it as a weakness; a vulnerability for enemies to exploit. The rest of his mind just saw it as an amusing way to throw Laurent off-guard.

The dining hall was packed with people by the time they arrived. An assortment of salutes were directed towards Robin. He responded to them all with a nod and a quirk of his lips. Laurent's face had turned stony once more- the picture of seriousness and professionalism. He barely blinked as they walked down the tables to their seats. A keen observer would have seen the way he clutched at a piece of his coat. Gaius waved at them cheerily from the department heads' table.

"Morning, sleepyheads!" He yelled over the din of morning conversation. Beside him, Ephraim and L’Arachel winced. Nevertheless, they still waved hello at them once he approached. Robin directed an apologetic look towards Ephraim, but the head of the Knights waved his discomfort away.

Chrom smiled at them both. "Good morning. Did you two get enough sleep?"

Robin shrugged. "My head isn't pounding anymore, so probably. How about you, Laurent?" Robin took his seat beside Chrom, and signaled one of the chefs to serve food.

Laurent sat beside Robin. "I was able to sleep for a sufficient amount of time." Though he wasn't head of any department, his status as Robin's apprentice permitted him to sit with them.

"Good," Pent said, on Laurent's right. “Though you shouldn't take too many all-nighters, you know."

"Hah!" Gaius said, "That's rich coming from you! You used to be the record-holder for going the most days without sleep or rest!"

"I'm not!" Pent protested.

Robin and Laurent's food arrived, carried on trays by one of the chefs. They quickly dug in, allowing the argument to wash over them.

"Yes, you are! I even have the paperwork _and_ the video records to prove it!" Gaius retorted. He pulled a tablet from... somewhere? Of course the head of the mercenaries would have eccentric ways of storing his belongings. "I can show you the video recordings right now, if you want!"

Pent rolled his eyes. "I would have asked why you have recordings, but then I remember this is you we're talking about. Honestly, you Mercenaries have no sense of privacy."

Gaius shrugged. "For once, this didn't start with me. Blame Colm. He was the one who suggested we keep track of the people who pull all-nighters.” When Pent glared at him, Gaius barely even reacted. “Then Inigo said we should bet on who was the worst of them all." He leant back with a smug smile. "Of course, I won the bet. We still have the video records which kept track of all your sleepless nights."

Ephraim chuckled and shook his head. "I think the two of you have gone ten leagues away from your original point."

L’Arachel nodded. She turned towards Laurent.

"The point is, try not to do any more all-nighters in the future. I doubt you are unaware of the many, _many,_ debilitating effects of sleep deprivation." She took a sip of coffee. "You're still young; try not to ruin your health."

"Well said." Miriel added, looking seriously at Laurent. "You are aware of the long-term effects of sleep deprivation, correct?"

Laurent nodded. "Of course. I read every single article, newspaper clipping," he ticked off each item with his fingers, "book, pamphlet, magazine, and every other literary material about sleep deprivation you sent me that one night." The others blinked at him, and some stared at Miriel. The two of them quirked their eyebrows at their companions, making almost the same exact face.

"That's kinda creepy." Gaius said, jokingly inching away from them.

The rest of the meal passed quickly. For the most part, no one mentioned their current crisis. They focused on fun and simple topics, and kept the atmosphere light. Chrom was uncharacteristically quiet, choosing only to nod and hum as his sole contribution to the conversation. Internally, Robin worried for his friend. Chrom had been one of the most affected by PLEGIA's actions in the past; their reappearance now was probably dredging up all sorts of terrible memories.

Discreetly, Robin turned to him and asked, "You alright?"

Chrom directed a soft smile towards him. "I'll be fine. No need to worry."

Robin would have inquired further, but Miriel suddenly addressed everyone.

"It seems everyone is finished with their meal, correct?" Several people nod their agreement. "Excellent. Then I suggest we depart for the meeting room, so that we may discuss our daily reports. Now that Robin and Laurent have awaken from their slumber, we can discuss everything."

They all stood up from the table and made their way out of the hall. Along the way, Pent passed by Luthier and Erk, and reminded them to keep an eye over the servers in case someone tried to hack in again.

Several meeting rooms can be found all over the FEA complex, however, there was one in particular which was used solely by the department heads during a time of crisis. Most of the time, they simply submitted their reports through the linked tablets. If they had anything particularly important to discuss, then they would meet face to face. However, it was rare for them to meet all at the same time.

They took their seats, following the same arrangement they had during lunch. Force of habit. Chrom spoke up, saying, "Robin, go ahead."

Robin straightened the lapels of his coat and grabbed his tablet. He swept through and found the digitized version of the map formation he and Laurent had created. "Laurent and I created a new formation for the agency to use. We took into account FEA's current lack of manpower and developed a formation which should best be able to protect our base."

With a tap of his fingers, the image appeared at the center of their table as a hologram. Cyan light was projected upwards, and displayed a raised version of the map.

Robin turned to Chrom and asked, "I assume this map has already been put into circulation?"

"Yes." Chrom answered. "Every message board should be displaying that image, along with the order of immediate implementation."

"While the larger details have already been worked over, we still need to discuss the smaller details." Robin zoomed in at a particular section of the map, where the legends for a Mage and a Mercenary could clearly be seen.

"Due to the lack of Knights, we've been forced to put Mages at the forefront. They will be supported by Mercenaries, but for the most part, Mages will do the direct fighting. Now, because of the wide range of technology that the Mages possess, we will have to consider which weapons will be distributed." Robin turned to Miriel. She nodded slightly and pulled out her own tablet.

Robin moved the map hologram to the side, making room for Miriel's designs. She put up schematics for weapons the research division had developed, along with a list of their characteristics at their side.

Chrom spoke. "Miriel, you and Laurent should focus on assigning the weapons. He'll take over Mark and Virion's duties for now, as long as they haven't returned yet.”

“Understood,” Miriel said.

Robin turned to Ephraim. “How many Knights can we recall from duty? Or at least how many can we expect to return by the end of this week?”

Ephraim’s expression was grim. “At most, I can recall maybe two or three agents. The rest,” he shook his head. “They’re all occupied with infiltration or protection missions, and cannot return. None are scheduled to return within this week, or even in the next. I’m sorry.”

Robin sighed. “I was afraid that was the case. Still, call back who you can. Every single person helps.”

Ephraim nodded, and pulled out his phone. “Eliwood, Inigo, and maybe Louise can be here by tomorrow night. I’ll double check all the other active missions to see if anyone else can be recalled.”

Gaius spoke next. “None of my contacts have any information on PLEGIA’s return.”

“Nothing?” Pent asked, sounding skeptical.

“None.” Gaius said. “Not even a peep. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, PLEGIA is still dead and gone. We’re the only ones who know they’re back; not even our government’s other ‘clandestine organizations’” he said, with utter disdain, “are aware of their return.”

“That’s impossible.” Pent said. “PLEGIA can’t just resurrect itself without anyone noticing,” he scowled. “They’re a large organization, they must have set up base somewhere. They need materials, resources, labor- They can’t just fall off the grid!” he pointed to the walls, in the direction of the IT department, “That hacking attempt they tried? They couldn’t have done that without some kind of equipment; there has to be a trail somewhere!”

“Look, I know that.” Gaius said, scowling. “But wherever they’ve hidden themselves, they’ve done it well. We’ve questioned every single one of the Mercenaries’ contacts, even the more unsavory ones, but we’ve found nothing. There’s no trace of them anywhere.”

Before Pent could respond, Chrom raised his hand and interrupted them. “Thank you, Gaius. That will be enough. For now, send two of your agents to check on some of PLEGIA’s old haunts. Work with the Mages to leave some surveillance cameras in the area so we can keep an eye on each location after your agents visit.”

“Alright. I’ll go interrogate some of PLEGIA’s old allies as well, just to see if they know anything. I might pick up some useful info.” Gaius said.

“Pent,” Chrom said, “Tell us more about what happened when the hacker tried to access our systems.”

“The attempt happened at exactly 3:37 pm yesterday. From what I could determine at the time, the hacker was merely trying to damage our system, not gain access to it.

“Damage our system?” Robin asked. “Not that I’m complaining, but it’s odd that they weren’t trying to get any information.”

“It is, but as far as I could tell, their intent was purely destructive. There was no finesse, no subtlety in their attack, just brute force,” Pent said. “Regardless of their strategy however, the hacker is extremely skilled. Whoever they are, they bypassed many of the defenses we had in place, in an extraordinarily short amount of time.”

“I’ll be blunt,” Pent said. “Chom and I have already discussed this earlier, but you all have to know that there’s a chance this is Lyon’s work.”

The atmosphere in the room tensed imperceptibly. Ephraim’s expression tightened, and he clenched his fists.

“That’s not- That’s _impossible._ ” Ephraim said. “I killed Lyon. I watched him fall off of a building. He can’t be back. He literally can’t.”

L’Arachel looked at him sadly. “Ephraim, we were never sure if he was really dead. You know that we never found the body. We just saw him fall, he could-”

“Don’t.” Ephraim warned. “I don’t need you to tell me what happened.” He turned to Chrom. “It can’t be Lyon. It has to be someone else. Maybe they found some new expert; someone we’ve never seen before.”

“Ephraim,” Chrom’s voice was gentle, “We have to consider every avenue. As far as we all know, the only other hacker who was on par with Pent was Lyon. He even helped build the system we’re using now. You have to admit that him being alive could explain how the hacker got into our system so easily.”

“I don’t understand this.” Ephraim said. “You would rather believe that a dead man is alive, rather than literally any other possibility?” He looked at Robin and implored him. “Robin, please, speak some sense into them. They are obviously not thinking clearly.”

Trying to stem the slowly brewing argument, Robin took into consideration both their arguments. “It does sound unlikely that Lyon could be alive,” Ephraim nodded sharply, conveying his agreement. “But, stranger things have happened in our line of work. As unlikely as it is, it isn’t completely out of the realm of possibility. For now, I suggest we keep the option of Lyon being alive on the table, but pursue other possibilities instead. Gaius could ask his contacts if there have been news of any up and comers in the hacking community.”

It was the best compromise they could have at the moment. It wasn’t what Ephraim wanted, but he could work with it.

“I have to add something,” Pent said. At Chrom’s signal, he continued. “In the case that this hacker really isn’t Lyon, then there’s a possibility that they’re Leon’s apprentice or at least learned something from him. Their styles of attack are eerily similar; it’s what first made me think that it was even Lyon in the first place.”

“Lyon had always been a good teacher,” L’Arachel mused. “It could just be an apprentice.”

“For all our sakes, I sincerely hope it’s simply an apprentice.” Chrom said.

The rest of the meeting goes smoothly after that. Though by the time it ends, the atmosphere is charged with tension, everyone’s heads filled with the things they must do, and what they must accomplish. They go their different ways, heading for their respective sections of the complex.


End file.
